Dermot Mulroney To Play ROCKFORD In New NBC Pilot!!

I am – Hercules!!
Dermot Mulroney, 46, has now been tapped to play iconic private investigator Jim Rockford in NBC’s new “Rockford Files” pilot.
Mulroney played Gavin on three 2003 episodes of “Friends” but has never been a TV series regular. His feature credits include “Young Guns,” “Career Opportunities,” “Point of No Return,” “The Thing Called Love,” “Silent Tongue,” “Bad Girls,” “There Goes My Baby,” “How to Make an American Quilt,” “Copycat,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Goodbye Lover,” “Where the Money Is,” “About Schmidt,” “Zodiac” and “Burn After Reading.”
The new “Rockford” is being masterminded by David Shore, best known for creating Fox’s “House.”
Shore’s version of the character apparently retains his ex-con background but this new Rockford will also have a history as a cop, which as far as I remember was not the case with the 1970s Rockford.
Find all of The Hollywood Reporter’s story on the matter here.

He is in his 40s, and can play a little older if necessary. Has that slight low rent side that Rockford did - Rockford lived in a trailer. Has the necessary charisma and has that cowboy swagger that Garner had. He'd have been the right choice.

that's a perfect choice...Holloway has just the right blend of swagger, toughness and sensitivty necessary for the character. And he's as close as today's Hollywood is ever gonna get to the great James Garner. Also wouldn't hurt to bring along his LOST fan following either...what the hell were they thinking?

Seriously. Don't these TV executives learn from past mistakes? What remake of an older TV show has been successful? I can think of two, Battlestar Galactica and The Outer Limits. Maybe V but it's too early to tell. 90210 and Melrose Place are technically sequels to the original series. Failures have included The Fugitive, Family Affair, Knight Rider, The Bionic Woman, The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone (twice), Dragnet (the one with Ed O'Neill).

I'm eager to give the show a chance, though, because I assume a certain amount of professional rigor went into the choice (i.e. multiple auditions in which he totally killed it). Either way, it costs me nothing to give him a shot.

I'd love a retro remake of Lost in Space. Infuse cg with the slightly upgraded original costumes and cheesy sets. Keep it campy. Have John Lithgow as Dr.Smith, and Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler as the Robinsons. And Alan Kalter as the voice of Robot. It'd be gold I tell ya. GOLD.

Garner is Rockford. This is a reboot too far man, too far. Certain things are untouchable and this is one of them. I for one will not be contributing to the viewing figures. And when they get around to remaking Magnum PI, I'm gonna start hurting people.

You know it's true. Peter Falk- giant shoes to fill and I always thought Columbo could never be played by anybody else, but if they do it ( and they will) this guy is the man to call.
<p> Rockford played by Mulroney...hmm. I like Mulroney but he'd better harden up a bit if he wants to play our James Rockford.

were successful because they relied on concepts close to the originals. Rockford, and Fugitive, prisoner, and Tzone had a central character or figure that was so tied to the series, it was unimaginable without them. Rockford without Garner is like Colombo without Falk

Seriously, someone will have to clue me in on this one because apparently I went to sleep and woke up in Bizarro World. WHAT THE FUCK is Hollywood even thinking anymore?<p>Up above, AversionTherapy2 nailed it when he said: "Really? Recast one of the most charismatic and unique characters to ever hit TV? Lightning struck when Garner and Rockford got together. It's not going to happen again."<p>He's right, it's NOT going to happen again because it was a true case of an actor making a role his, a perfect melding that made the show a classic hit that's stood up all these years. So WHY even bother to remake it? Older people/fans who remember ROCKFORD will be pissed off by the recasting of a truly personable actor like Garner... meanwhile the younger generation has no recollection of the show at all, SO WHY NOT SIMPLY CREATE SOMETHING NEW?<p>What, it's TOO FUCKING HARD for writers in Hollywood to come up with a new detective show? What, the idea of an easy going guy who lives out of a trailer at the beach and solves crimes was TOO HARD of a concept to emulate in an all-new way? For crying out loud, I knew Hollywood was creatively bankrupt, but this is just flat out ridiculous.<p>And then just to top it off, these stupid cunts in suits at the networks actually sit around and wonder why TV ratings keep sinking lower and lower...

...and he was great in flicks like Where The Day Takes You, but he just doesn't have the charisma that it takes to play a character like Jim Rockford, or to carry a show week to week as the lead. As part of an ensemble, sure, he's capable of good work, but with everything on his shoulders, I just don't see it. Also it doesn't help matters that James Garner, with whom Mulroney will be obviously compared against, had such an excess of easy going screen charisma that you could remove 90% of it and he'd still be more charismatic than most of modern hollywood. I'll give Mulroney a shot, but he's facing one hell of an uphill battle...<p>Oh, and they should get James Garner in to play his pops, Rocky.

is this In the Line of Fire Dermot or Point of No Return Dermot?<br><br>Don't remember much about RF, other than he lived in a trailer, and drove a Pontiac Fire Chicken. Oh, and didn't each episode start out with one of those new-fangled answering machines?<br><br>Considering how societal norms have changed, it would be interesting to see what a modern remake of Three's Company would be like...on cable.

...for them to remake The Rockford Files <b>without James Garner</b>. <p>I'm sure millions of other people have been saying "boy, the Rockford Files would be great if they just did it without James Garner"
<p>Yeah, that's exactly what's needed.

I too confuse them. Is it the man-whore from Wedding Date or the guy from "The Practice" that I just hear women refer to as 'mmmmm Bobby." I just merge them in my mind into Dylon McDermott Mulrooney.
<p> Much the same as I merge two actresses to become one mighty Mary Louise Parker Posey.
<p> Been watching Rockford on RetroTV. Very much enjoying.

What a shit choice. Nothing against Dermot Mulroney as an actor, but Rockford was about the charisma of the star first and foremost, and this guy is no Jim Garner. Rockford was a falsely-convicted private dick whose father was LAPD, making him a former cop suggests they're removing the father role which was pretty important to the original. This is just all wrong. And odd, why remake Rockford when House was an original concept? (House being a medical, modern day Sherlock Holmes.) Then they could fit the main character to the actor, where here it's rewriting a character that worked totally differently. Just another show that won't have enough freedom to be alive so it'll get quashed.

Was the second season I believe. Still, it was a great season. The very hot Joan Severance was in that. If memory serves, Joan and Kevin were brother and sister and had an incestuous relationship. Ray Sharkey was the baddie in the first season, wasn't he?

I really don't want it to happen at all but if it has to be anyone - Big Vince. And encouraging to see the lurve here for Wiseguy. Really good, solid show. Wasn't Ray Sharkey in this, too. Another career that should a been...Oh, and best TV theme ever: still Hill St. Blues. Please God, no remake...

As bad an idea as re-booting Alex Haley's Roots..<br><br>
With Gary Busey as Kunta Kinte<br><br>
Seriously. This ain't a gag? Someone is actually gonna try and redo the Rockford Files with the guy who has irreversible cheek twitch?<br><br>
Welp. way of the road..Some dumb suit wanted to put on a show that would fail..faster ..and farther.. than the Hawaii 5-0 reboot. The only other pilot with a more ridiculous casting as the lead..I mean really. The 3 rivers guy as Steve McGarrett? Dermot Mul whatsey as Jim Rockford? Really? C'MON MAN!<br><br>
Faaaaaaahk!
<br><br>
I'm just gonna put it out there and you can yank on it as you see fit..while we are remaking classic TV shows with folk fully un-capable of coming close to pullin it off..<br><br>
Can we get that unfunny fat kid from SuperBad as the new 'Cannon'? ..maybe get his wimpy wussy friend.. as the new 'Baretta'? I'd like Adam Samberg as the new Thomas Magnum....Gooood God!<br><br>
What is wrong with Hollywood.

Remember when Gary Busey was supposed to get the McGarrett role?
<P>
We've moved a long way up the Banzai Pipeline.
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Oh, that reminds me. Anybody into the 60s and 70s vibe might enjoy Thomas Pynchon's new novel "Inherent Vice." That's if you care which version of "Wipeout" by the Surfaris has the laugh.

The guy is the right kinda age, the right kinda attitude, the right level of charisma and 'low rent' style look and charm, and he's been great on Lost these past couple of years in what is, let's face it, a pretty thankless role really for the most part. In fact I'd even say that if most anyone else had played that role the character would likely be dead by now, it's only the fact that folks like Fahey that has kept him around so long.

Can't wait for the remakes of:<p></p>
"McMillan & Wife"<p></p>
"McCloud"<p></p>
"Cannon"<p></p>
"Barnaby Jones"<p></p>
"Rhoda"<p></p>
"Bonanza"<p></p>
"Little House on the Prairie"<p></p>
... need I continue?<p></p>
oh wait!!<p></p>
How about a "Happy Days" movie??!!?? ... but with an all Black cast! (Tyler Perry can write & direct)<p></p>
Same with "Laverne & Shirley"! Cast Meagan Good and Vivica Fox (they're no brainers since they're in every other Black movie not made by Tyler Perry ... yet)<p></p>
Thank God for the Original Series' on Cable!

She was the lady who humped the gardener in THrow Momma From the Train, and then she went into outer space in Battle of the Network Stars and shit. She's got a real sophisticated vibe...I'd love to dine on her clam.

While movies have been unwatchable through most of the 21st century (and getting exponentially worse every year), television has been in a golden age. But now it looks like the uninspired hacks who destroyed the movie industry have set their sites on TV. I agree with the previous poster, Hollywood needs a stray nuke to hit them so we can start from scratch. With all the unemployed, in this country, they can't find someone with a single new idea??? Ugh, I don't mind movies sucking, but I depend on TV.

or was "The Rockford Files" created specifically for James Garner? in any case, I agree. A remake is ill advised, and will most likely fail.
By the way, it's grat to see some 'Wiseguy' luv here. One of my all time faves!

if you're saying that they should remake 'Angel' with Danny DeVito as Angel....that ould be very interesting.
If you want Bavid Boreanaz as Jim Rockford then no. I am a huge 'Angel' fan and a big 'Bones' fan, but Boreanaz isn't a good enough actor to carry a show by himself. He needs a really strong supporting cast to carry him. Jim Rockford is a role that requires him to be in virtually every scene.